Cwmorthin is a substantial Victorian-era slate mine above the village of Tanygrisau, circling the slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. It has a

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Cwmorthin is a substantial Victorian-era slate mine above the village of Tanygrisau, circling the slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. It has a long and complex history beginning in the early 1800's, with heavy underground development starting around 1860. It was run by several different companies as a venture in its own right during the late 1800's. The earlier underground workings started at "Lake Level" by the Cwmorthin Slate Company Ltd, ascended upwards in the mountain ultimately for 8 floors in both the Old and Back Vein. Poor working practices and reckless engineering decisions ultimately led to a substantial collapse in 1884 and the end of that company, which failed to recover, in 1888.

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Size: 6000px × 3889px
Photo credit: © Rory Trappe / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: blaenau, cwmorthin, cymru, ffestiniog, gwynedd, llechi, quarry, rhosydd, slate, snowdonia, trail, victorian, wales